Questionnaires

The Baseline Questionnaire

Information on the health of 45 and Up Study participants has been collected using a Baseline Questionnaire that was mailed to people in the target age range selected at random from the Medicare Australia enrolment database.The baseline data collected covers more than a quarter of a million men and women aged 45 and over.

People living in rural areas and those aged 80 years and over were oversampled so we could obtain a particularly clear statistical picture of these groups. Separate questionnaires were devised for men and women so we could ask questions specific to each group.

The results of information gathered from both baseline questionnaires can be found in the Study’s Data Book.

Note on questionnaire versions

Over the recruitment period, the baseline questionnaire was modified to better capture data on common illnesses and physical activity. Detailed information relating to these changes and their potential impact on 45 and Up data is provided in the Summary of Modifications to the 45 and Up Study Baseline Questionnaire (PDF 162KB).

In October 2007, version 2 questionnaires replaced the original version and version 3 questionnaires were mailed from November 2007 to October 2008. Version 3b of the Questionnaire on this page was the last version used. The variable version_no in the dataset identifies which version of the questionnaire was completed by each participant, however it does not differentiate between versions 3, 3a and 3b as they have only minor modifications.

Missing and invalid values

The follow-up questionnaires

At least every five years participants are sent a follow-up questionnaire to identify health and lifestyle changes. Because of the large number of participants, the questionnaires are rolled out in phases. The first follow-ups were undertaken in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The second follow-ups were rolled out in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Many of the questions asked in the surveys are repeated, but there are also new questions, such as those about the impact of COVID-19 in the 2020 survey.

Download the first follow-up questionnaires:

Download the second follow-up questionnaires: